Dominic Samuel

Samuel‘s Story:Hugely promising striker, Samuel rose to fame in our Academy during the 2011/12 campaign. Embarking on a prolific run, he found the net 13 times in 14 games for the U18s side, and as a result, penned his first professional contract in December 2011.

During the 2012/13 season, Samuel was handed with a debut for the Royals' first team under manager Brian McDermott. He made his bow as a 72nd minute substitute in our Premier League outing away to Sunderland that December.

The following month Colchester signed the 18-year-old on a month’s loan deal where he made two starts for the U’s before returning to Berkshire at the end of January.

In between loan spells, Samuel was a regular in the Royals' U21s side, and in March he scored a phenomenal solo goal against Manchester City to earn his side a 3-0 win at Madejski Stadium.

A year later and another loan move transpired when he joined League Two’s Dagenham & Redbridge, alongside another Royals teammate Lawson D’Ath.

He made his debut for the club against Fleetwood but was forced off the pitch prior to half-time following a knee injury. The loan deal was subsequently cut short as the damage done needed to be fixed surgically.

During the 2014/15 season, Samuel made his second appearance adorning a Reading shirt in our January FA Cup tie with Huddersfield.

Come the end of that month, Coventry City signed the Academy graduate on loan until April 28th. As a Sky Blue, he was able to bring together a run of 12(+1) games, of which he scored an exciting six goals.

Damagingly for all involved, Dom fractured his ankle on 1st April which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

Upon recovery, he joined League One's Gillingham on emergency loan, a deal which was subsequently extented untill the end of the 2015/16 season.

In 2016-17, Samuel was handed a chance back in RG2 and he took it by scoring a goal on home debut in a 3-0 win over Burton Albion! Injury to Yann Kermorgant, saw him lead the Roayls line and he notched another in a 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers towards the end of the calendar year.

In the January transfer window, he went out on loan to Ipswich Town where injury once again stunted his progress. However, he had made 21 appearances across the course of the campaign.